CMB’s mission is to encourage, engage and equip our members to impact their community for Christ.
CMB’s Women in Radio is made up of ladies working at a radio station, a ministry, a record company, in promotions, artist management, or are connected to a Christian broadcaster. We believe there is power in connection and community. CMB Women in Radio is about nurturing, equipping, connecting and praying for one another.
Are you connected with other women who work in radio? Keep in touch via the CMB Women in Radio Forum and the CMB Women in Radio Instagram.
Tell us about your family…
The ’80s. I was the new girl in town and this guy at my new high school called and asked if I wanted to play football. Coming from a state that was champs at six-man football, I was game! That was thirty years ago, we’ve been married for twenty-six years. (As to why my family moved to Maine from Montana is a story that joins The Reagan administration, Montana farmers and one of the world’s more formative shipbuilders – BIW).
Our three kids have two of the best places to vaca in the U.S.A. with family for free: The Montana Rocky Mountains and “the rocky coast” of Maine. Our daughter, Presley, will be a Junior in High-school (plays forward in field hockey and is editor of the Yearbook staff), our son Bowden will be a Freshman (sketches, games and…eats), and Kingston, grade eight (a gamer who loves aquatic life)! The kids are close in age (15, 14 and 13 years old), we thought while the changing table was out, we should just keep changing diapers–we didn’t think through the puberty years–or college.
God has blessed us with an opportunity to renovate a little lake property where the kids spend time in hammocks and kayaks, biking, fishing, and not walking the dog! Our little town, Spring Grove, just put in a regulation-size pickleball court, so I see us getting into pickleball in a big way this summer.
Tell us your radio timeline…
To replicate KMON 560 AM Big Sky Country on my prepubescent radio show, I (probably) literally twisted my little brother’s arm; he was my “tang kid” — my country music countdown show was often “sponsored” by “Tang–the official drink of astronauts.”
Before I was ten, I wrote a letter to Paul Harvey to tell him the rest of my story, and that I listened to everything he ever did (Paul Harvey groupie). At the press of a button, I opened rural Montana citizen’s ban radio reporting from the Lazy A bar W Ranch leaving CB listeners north of the Missouri River Breaks through Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation and south to my hometown under the Highwood Mountains, population 300; a community now well informed about harvest and “hoppers,” weather conditions and barnyard banter.
In the early 90s, after further falling in love with communications as a broadcast major in Southern California, I went back east to work at WMSJ Freeport, Maine. I volunteered as the newly licensed FM 91.9 MHz began “pushing back the darkness” in Southern Maine. I moved into the role of MD and co-host of the morning show team “The Blonde & What’s His Name.” I remember courage inspiring conversations during a shar-a-thon with Todd Isburner at the helm that first year of operations. Overnights WMSJ was an affiliate of Morningstar Radio Network who was just pursuing a move from Texas to Tennessee and west coast alternative music was pushing eastward. Jeff and I reconnected too, without the football, this time co-hosting a radio show called “Know Alternative”.
Through affiliate conversations with Morningstar, the pull to Nashville, TN came into vision, and the passion in a church in Brentwood moved me to make it official. In the record label industry, one of the first personal welcomes I received was from the always grounded, wisdom infused Michelle Younkman who was repping radio at industry giant Star Song Communications (who had picked up distribution for a band I didn’t know I’d work within a very short time). I worked overnights for privately owned Morningstar Radio Network (Burt & Patsy Perrault) which allowed me– in the days before internet radio– to simultaneously be “home” with friends and family in California, Montana and Maine. Such great memories with reel-to-reel tape liners for network affiliates and, in such a short time, such influence there (Tom Carter, Don Burns, Rich Tiner).
Z Music Television, supported by Graham Barnard (Gaylord Ent.), was taking off; I did voiceovers, Z-Music commercial acting while voicing their Top 10 Z-Music Television Countdown. In 1994, I hosted the afternoon drive at WNAZ in Nashville and once received a “listener call” that would take me to the record label side of radio promotions; I signed on with Forefront Communications and Ardent Records learning under Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key and Dan Brock. Agenda one: the yet-to-be-released working demos of the dc Talk “Jesus Freak” album. This afforded me rich conversations and friendships with folks in radio markets across the country and an awakening to prayer, artist relations and hard collaborative work with friends.
I was in that role for nearly a decade, meeting radio friends across the nation and introducing friends to friends (on behalf of Forefront, Ardent and Gotee Records). I kept up with voice-over work and voice tracking for WHMX Bangor, Maine, and WXHL Wilmington, Delaware, commercials and drops for KLTY Dallas among others along the way.
In 2010, I began doing voice work for WJTL. I host a popular standard for the station that continues its more than twenty-year legacy of giving listeners a voice to talk music with WJTL: The REQUEST Show M-TH 8-10 w. Nik (at Night). Friday’s Request & Dedication hour is hosted by Lisa Landis during the afternoon drive. This is valued time that creates unique dialog opportunities for me as the Music Director of WJTL. I produce and record a weekly Top 25 Countdown (not sponsored by Tang), write and produce sweepers and promos, emcee The Junction Center live events, and post the 2021 Listener Daily Challenge on our socials (created by our PD John Shirk and read for decades live on the air). Adjoining the broadcast studios is The Junction Center where the community holds things as varied as One-Act Plays, Student Prayer events and Homecoming dances; our land is utilized by the community for intramural soccer and benefit run/walks and the famous community event Kids Cookie Break Fest (a community outreach with games, petting zoo, food, entertainment and live kids music from local and national children’s bands including music from beloved musician, Phredd (long-time host of the WJTL Morning Show, Fred McNaughton is also long time WJTL General Manager. The KCB radio show airs on WJTL Saturday Mornings and has since its debut in 1999. The Kids Cookie Break Fest has just announced its post-pandemic return this August!).
Words of encouragement for other ladies in radio…
I would love you to know that God sees you, He has His best in mind for you–it’s probably something you haven’t imagined, but you are uniquely equipped for it. If you feel weak in it, take heart, He is your strength and your song.
Can you recommend a book that is encouraging to you?
The Book of Isaiah 8:11-14a
The LORD has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does, He said, “Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them, Make the LORD of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe.”
I just picked up In Unison by Jeremy & Adrienne Camp at Barnes & Noble, I’m looking forward to cracking the spine on their book co-lab!
Convoy of Hope encourages women around the world to realize their value and reach their potential through job training and education. As a result, many enrolled in their Women’s Empowerment program now own a business that allows them to better feed and care for their children.
The team at 94.9 KLTY has served the Dallas/Fort Worth community for over 35 years. In 2020, the need was never greater. Through their local campaigns, Christmas Wish and Speak Love, they were able to assist many families who were impacted by not only the pandemic, but by hard times in general. The Speak Lovecampaign helped first responders, teachers, servers, food service staff, and many more within the community throughout the year. In 2020 94.9 KLTY’s Christmas Wish campaign brought Christmas joy to hundreds of families in the DFW area. They provided vehicles, food, toys, and other forms of relief to families in their community. They could not have reached any of these needs if not for their listeners and their generous donations to 94.9 KLTY’s nonprofit programs. In total, Speak Love and Christmas Wish raised more than $160,000 for those in need in Dallas/Fort Worth. They also recognized those sacrificial front-line workers and first responders who keep our community safe. Each week, 94.9 KLTY honored them, raised funds throughout the summer, and then presented each first responder with a check as a token of their gratitude. With countless families in need because of the pandemic, 94.9 KLTY also helped the Tarrant Area Food Bank distribute food essentials on multiple occasions in September, October, November. It is 94.9 KLTY’s sincere honor to serve our listeners in Dallas/Fort Worth.
LIFE 96.5 seeks to empower and serve the Sioux Falls area by reaching out in faith to help make it a better place to live and work. They want to lead their listeners to Jesus and help them grow in their faith through opportunities to love and serve others. In January 2020, LIFE 96.5 listeners donated over 950 brand new baby items during the Sioux Empire’s Largest Baby Shower. The Baby Shower grows every year, demonstrating their community’s love and support of the couples who are choosing life for their unborn children. LIFE 96.5 listeners, in partnership with Dacotah Bank, provided gift cards and cash donations to the Sioux Falls School District social workers to meet the needs of 1,000 homeless students. LIFE 96.5 also invited listeners to participate in a city-wide prayer parade, where they prayed for health care and government officials while driving past hospitals, schools, and city government offices. During the months of September and October 2020, LIFE 96.5 listeners provided over 250 twin sheet sets and 100 mattresses to the Sioux Falls Sleep in Heavenly Peace organization for children who are sleeping on floors. Through LIFE 96.5, listeners also made a difference in the lives of patients spending Christmas at Avera Behavioral Health Hospital. Each patient received a Christmas stocking filled with gifts and a note of encouragement. In addition, each Saturday morning LIFE 96.5 staff host Life Connection, a program featuring community leaders and discussing the needs and concerns of the Sioux Falls Community.
89.5 KVNE exists to glorify God by encouraging people, connecting their community, and pointing people to Jesus Christ. When their community was turned upside down by COVID, they knew they had to jump into action and mobilize their listeners to make a difference for Christ. To best serve their local community, KVNE held multiple drives to support local ministry partners and those most impacted by the pandemic. They collected 1,500 gift cards (totaling more than $15,000) to benefit those in need because of shutdowns, gathered over 12,000 diapers for foster families, and collected 150 care packages for senior citizens. They also collected 1,032 fans for the Salvation Army and over 1,000 pairs of shoes for kids heading back to school. Additionally, listeners donated 1,512 care packages for the homeless in East Texas, and KVNE hosted two blood drives to help those fighting the coronavirus. People across East Texas needed connection during the pandemic, so they organized a social media outreach, called Praise Defeats, a coordinated time where listeners shot videos of themselves singing “Raise A Hallelujah.” The videos were shared thousands of times, as they deepened their community’s connection. In addition, KVNE launched a Hispanic Christian music station (Fuzión), started a worship station (Lift Worship), and began a Bible Teaching Station (The Well) – all to help people grow in their faith. God allowed them to impact His Kingdom in profound ways and serve their local community powerfully during an unprecedented time when people needed hope like never before.
Since 1986, The JOY FM has made community service a hallmark of its ministry to listeners – first in Sarasota, and then expanding to Tampa, other Florida markets, and most recently to Atlanta and Middle Georgia. Even with this growth, community outreach remains hands-on, with legacy events like T-Shirts for Turkeys, which helped feed more than 28,700 families in all markets served last year. 2020 created new challenges for serving, so The JOY FM innovated several service projects to accommodate contactless delivery and social distancing. JOY Drop and Restock, a brand-new outreach, collected 30 tons of food to restock local food banks hit hard by the pandemic. Partnering with Natalie Grant and Hope for Justice, Team Freedom approached a grand total of $1,000,000 in 2020 to fight human trafficking. As listeners faced political rhetoric and serious questions about race and justice, as well as practical challenges like hybrid classrooms, The JOY FM programming (on terrestrial signals, as well as its LF Radio and JOY Worship platforms) responded with a recommitment to our mission of “Helping You Find JOY.” Resources for listeners, such as the Off Air with Carmen podcast, was provided to help listeners wrestle with big questions like Christian citizenship. Possibly The JOY FM’s most relevant community service effort for 2020 was prayer. The JOY FM’s Prayer and Crisis Referral service interacted with 620,936 listeners in need of prayer or help. Of those calls and texts, 4,949 listeners reported praying to place their faith in Jesus Christ.
“Hope Starts Here” is more than The Light FM’s tagline. It’s their mission. In 2020, they were intentional in regularly offering community-needed resources and hope-filled encouragement. They hosted their 5th annual Make a Difference training to encourage listeners to share God’s hope and saw 14 people begin a personal relationship with Jesus. The Light FM also visited eight local Law Enforcement agencies to share words of encouragement and care baskets. They partnered with East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and artists of Winter Jam for a private concert and time of prayer with families battling pediatric cancer. The Light FM listeners from five different cities donated 258 wheelchairs, 262 crutches, 259 walkers, 71 transport chairs, and 66 canes to Wheels for the World, which brings mobility and the hope of Christ around the world. During stay-at-home orders, The Light FM began offering free monthly virtual events, including: a graduation ceremony, featuring artists and Bible teachers; a conference with Crown Financial on how to manage finances during the pandemic; Girl Talk LIVE, a women’s event with worship and Bible study; God’s Hope in Crisis training with chaplains of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team; a pastor appreciation event for local churches, featuring Chip Ingram and Matthew West; and a Family Christmas Night with live music, games, and a devotion from The Light FM staff. Even throughout the pandemic, The Light FM also found ways to be out in the public, safely, with six drive-in events featuring movies and live music.
